Computer Calls Balls and Strikes in Baseball First

The use of a human umpire to call balls and strikes could one day become a thing of the past. A minor league team, the San Rafael Pacifics, in California is using a computer to call balls and strikes for the first time.

The robotic umpire technology is known as Pitchf/x. The Washington Postreports that system includes three cameras located high above the field that triangulate the ball's location. The system is currently in many major league ballparks but it is not yet being used for calling balls and strikes in these locations.

An announcer reported the results of a pitch from the computer to the crowd. If the technology becomes commonplace in baseball it still won't replace the need for an umpire. The computer program cannot call things like foul balls or throw people out of the game. Take a look: